


Save (Me from) the Bees!

by systems



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, AU where Rin never met Makoto, Based on a Tumblr Post, Fluff, It's a serious problem!, M/M, Makoto's allergic to bees, Set in the future; Makoto's third year at university, or Haru or Nagisa or Rei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:26:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3631446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/systems/pseuds/systems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto and Rin meet on a crowded street in the suburbs of Kyoto.</p><p>Based on godsensei's tumblr post: </p><p>makorin au where makoto is ridiculously afraid of bees (cause he’s allergic) and he’s out and about in a crowded town and runs into a trashcan where yellow jackets are hovering and he flips shit and grabs the nearest person to him (rin) as a shield and when he gets past them he’s super embarrassed (bc he zones out when he’s scared) but rin says he’ll forgive him if he agrees to having lunch with him and makoto blushes and says ok<br/>#and later when they've been together for a while nagisa will yell 'bEES' and makoto will still dive behind rin</p>
            </blockquote>





	Save (Me from) the Bees!

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't follow the post exactly, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

It's not like he's a complete coward, or anything. And he doesn't go to crazy lengths to avoid his fear - usually. But, god, it can be humiliating, every time a new friend or coworker discovers how horrifically afraid Makoto is of bees. 

He has a legitimate reason to be cautious, he knows - his allergy to bee stings is no joke. He even ended up in the hospital once. 

 

He'd gone camping with his parents and Haru. He was only a little kid, this was before the twins were even born. Haru had come with, of course, because they were inseparable by this point. They'd had a great time hiking, had gone fishing and collected pretty stones to give to Makoto's mother. The third day, the two of them had gone traipsing through the forest behind the campsite, trampling down great big piles of leaves and twigs with huge, slow steps. 

In his memories, it happened in an instant. He'd stepped down, and his foot cracked through something and got stuck; he couldn't pull his foot back out. Bees started crawling and flying out from around his ankle, landing on his skin, swooping in his face. Admittedly, he'd panicked, but what child wouldn't? He'd started to scream, and flail his arms around his head, and lean back further and further to try to lever his foot out of the nest he'd discovered. His best efforts only landed him on his back, but when he tried to roll over and run away, his foot was still stuck. Then, the bees started to sting him. 

The rest of the day is a bit of a blur. He knows, because he's been told, that he and Haru both shrieked loud enough that Makoto's parents and a half dozen other adults in neighboring campsites came running, several with makeshift weapons to fend off potential kidnappers. His dad had hauled him out and run straight for the car; they'd left immediately, much to Haru's horror. 

Makoto had spent the next several hours sobbing his way through a box of tissues at the closest hospital, where he'd been plied with candy and stickers after the antihistamines had taken effect. 

"Thank y-you," he'd sobbed out at every gift, but he remained inconsolable. 

His mother and Haru finally arrived, having begged another camper to drive them into town. Haru, who had been fretting in the car, took one look at Makoto and let go of Makoto's mother's hand. He climbed up onto the bed Makoto was sitting on, silently wrapped his arms and legs around his friend. Makoto, who hadn't stopped crying since he'd regained enough breath to cry with, abruptly fell silent. 

 

His father likes to bring this detail up at holiday dinners, in front of extended family members. His aunts and uncles think it's so sweet how little Makoto and Haru have been so attached to each other for so long. 

Makoto hates this story. He remembers clearly the sensation of being suffocated by bees, of having them crawl over his skin and steal his breath away. It's still terrifying. 

And yes, he's grown up. He's bigger now. 

It doesn't mean he's not still allergic. It's a totally rational thing to keep in mind. Makoto is willing to admit, however, that his reactions when confronted with the insects tend not to be so rational. 

In his first year at university, he locked himself out of his dorm room when he realized a bee had gotten into the room. He'd had to ask the RA to help him get back in, and made him kill the bee before he'd agreed to step back inside. The girls down the hall had thought it was cute, and started leaving bee stickers on his door. 

In his second year of university, he'd refused to go on a day trip with some friends because they would be hiking, and he knew that bees were especially active during these weeks. When they realized why he'd declined, they all sent him snaps of bees with captions like: "we're not dead yet!" and "oh god it's almost as big as a petal!" 

And while on vacation in his third year at university, he had a panic attack and accosted a stranger. 

 

***

 

Kyoto is beautiful in May. After a day and a half of exploring the city, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei decided to take the train west to Arashiyama. Haru elected to stay behind; they'd picked this hotel because it had a pool, and what was the point if he wasn't going to get to swim in it?

Arashiyama is fun, small and almost kitsch, a place very, very aware of and involved in the tourist trades. There are tea stands everywhere, half the shops sell green tea ice cream and cherry blossom donuts, and artisans of all types sell their wares in shops and on the street. The three friends had hiked through the bamboo forest in the morning, eaten lunch at one of the many udon shops, and wandered through the town well into the afternoon. 

"Mako-chan," Nagisa whines. "I'm really hot! We have time for ice cream, don't we?" 

"I really don't think we do," Rei answers for him. 

"That's why I was asking Mako-chan," Nagisa retorts, giving Rei a baleful stare. "Mako-chan, please!" 

Makoto laughs. "I don't think it'll matter too much if we take a later train, Rei. It's a nice day out, after all. Maybe we should spend a little more time out here before we head back downtown."

"The scenery is beautiful," Rei admits. "The emptiness of my wallet, however..." 

"I told you to bring more cash," Nagisa says, stepping lightly out of reach when Rei makes a grab for him. 

"And I told you we did not need to spend 10,000 yen to sit in a cart and be pulled around by a human being!" he snaps. "Or to listen to you go on and on about the scenery while never once looking away from said person!" 

"You're not still mad that I said he had a nice ass, are you?" Nagisa asks. "Rei-chan! You're my boyfriend. I'm not leaving you for some toned, muscular, strong --"

"Okay!" Makoto cuts in. "Look, that place has a large crowd. Their ice cream is probably the best on the whole street, right? Come on, my treat!" He laughs a little desperately. Maybe he should've tried harder to get Haru to come out today. Or convinced Rei to wear lighter clothes, fashion be damned. He's sure half the reason Rei is so irritable is because it's so hot in the afternoon sun. 

As they push through the crowd to get a look at the menu, Makoto realizes that the reason there's such a crowd around this particular building is that there's another stand set up next to it with a very heated argument going on around it. 

"It's people like you who are destroying the environment!" A young woman snaps. 

The man behind the counter rolls his eyes. "I think you'll find that as a business owner, my priorities lie toward protecting the environment as much as I can, considering if the environment suffers, so will my business! You college kids are all the same! You hear a few buzzwords and think you know everything!" 

"But you're stifling them! Bees aren't meant to be caged and put on display to help you sell your honey and jam! You should leave them where they are! We don't need to see them to know where honey comes from, every child knows that!" she retorts hotly. 

Makoto cranes his neck and can see what she's so upset about. She's got a hand on a glass container with some honeycomb inside and way more bees than Makoto is comfortable looking at. He tries to back out of the crowd, but as he gets jostled around he ends up almost directly in front of the stand. 

"It really isn't that big of a deal," the man says. "If you're so concerned, go join a nature club or something. They'll take you out to pick up trash along the highways. Stop wasting my time."

The young woman lets out a frustrated noise and pushes at the glass cage. Makoto's eyes widen in horror as the box tips back and then forward. He can see it already, it's going to hit the ground, the bees are going to get out, and he's stuck in this crowd, oh, god, _what is he going to do_ \--?!

 

*** 

 

Rin could feel a headache coming on. He hadn't known when he agreed to accompany his sister Gou and her friend out of the city for a little hiking that he'd end up spending most of the afternoon watching said friend argue with harmless street vendors. 

He's just about to turn and try to sidle out of the crowd and away for a bit when someone grabs him by the arms and ducks behind him, screaming, " _DON'T LET THE BEES GET ME!_ " 

Rin tenses, and slowly turns his head to try to see who is holding onto him. It's a brown-haired guy who is as tall if not taller than Rin himself, but he's hunched over and pressing his face into the spot between Rin's shoulder blades. The grip on his arms is fierce but trembling, and honestly, Rin has no idea what to make of this, but at least it's an excuse to ditch Gou and company for a while. 

"Okay," he says, trying to turn around to face the stranger. "Hey, come on, let's get away from the bees." The guy lets him go long enough to turn, but then latches on again, now pressing his face against Rin's exposed collarbone. 

"Don't let them get me," he whimpers, warm lips moving against Rin's skin, and wow, Rin's gotta admit, he's kind of turned on by this. He's a bad person. 

"Come on," he says, rubbing over the guy's broad shoulders and across his back, noticing how nicely muscled he is. He glares daggers at the people blocking their way until they let him through. The stranger clings to him tightly, but he manages to walk them out. "Here," he says when they get halfway across the street and are finally clear of the crowd. "You're okay, we're away from the bees now." 

The guy is still clutching at Rin's arms, bunching up his tee in his fingers. He's red to the tips of his ears, and mumbling incoherently about _buzzing bastards_ and _honey's not worth it._ Rin chuckles, and wonders just how bad he should feel about finding him cute. He could shove the guy away, be cool and indifferent, but he's just not feeling it. 

"Hey." He tries to lean back enough to get a look at the guy's face. "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?" 

"Oh my god," the guy stammers, finally looking up. "I'm so sorry," he says, backing away. Rin catches movement out of the corner of his eye and jerks the guy back against his chest as a group of motorcyclists go past. 

"Let's sit down and get you a drink," Rin says firmly, taking him by the shoulders and steering him to a spot down the road where there's a tea room that's open to the street. They both slip off their shoes quietly and step up into the shop, and Rin asks for tea and water for the both of them. He positions the guy between himself and the wall. 

"I'm really sorry," the guy says, quiet but emphatic. "I just really don't like bees." He's staring at his hands, shamefaced and miserable, and Rin can't take much more of this. The guy is cute, and hot, and _vulnerable_ , and it's cutting right past his sarcastic tendencies and straight to his gut. He wants to comfort him. Who knew anyone but a stray kitten could bring out his nurturing side? 

"Don't worry about it," he says, sincerely. "I'm Rin," he adds, because he really wants to know this guy's name. 

"Thank you, Rin," the guy says. "I'm Makoto." He finally chances a glance upwards and Rin sees green eyes and a shy, tentative smile, and just. Wow, this guy is unfair. 

"Hi, Makoto," Rin smiles. 

"I really am sorry," Makoto says, fidgeting beside him. "I shouldn't have grabbed onto you like that. I'm allergic and tend to get a bit panicky around bees." 

Rin grins, because an idea has just occurred to him. He leans back on his hands. "You can make it up to me. I need to ditch the people I'm with for a while. Go out to dinner with me." 

Makoto opens his mouth to say something, closes it, tries again. "I -- you -- what?" 

"Dinner," Rin repeats patiently. "With me."

Makoto looks at him, embarrassment bleeding away as he seems to puzzle this over. "Are you asking me out?" 

"Yeah," Rin says, and if his voice wobbles a little it's because he's parched, not because he's nervous. The waitress arrives with their drinks and Rin grabs at his. He is not embarrassed. He's not embarrassed in front of the guy who literally tried to use him as a human shield because of some bees in a cage at a honey stand. He's just not. 

"Yeah," Makoto says, a blush darkening his cheeks. "Dinner would be great." 

 

***

 

Makoto remembers Rei and Nagisa when he and Rin sit down at a nearby restaurant. He checks his phone to find several texts from them, first giving a place to meet up again, then asking where he disappeared to. Rei asks if he's alright; Nagisa sends increasingly pouty messages that accuse him of ditching them. Makoto shoots back a quick _go back without me_ and tucks his phone away. 

They both read the menus quietly, and Makoto takes the opportunity to study Rin. He's almost as tall as Makoto, and he's slim but toned and fit. His hair is a deep red that falls across his eyes sometimes. Rin absently brushes his hand through his hair when this happens, and Makoto's eyes follow the movement each time. His eyes are an entrancing red that Makoto's never seen before. Rin notices Makoto's stare and flashes a sharp smile that sends a spike of excitement through Makoto's blood. 

"What're you looking at?" Rin asks. 

"You," Makoto replies honestly. He's amused to see Rin's confidence waver momentarily. "You're really..." He searches for the right word. Cute doesn't account for Rin's sharp smile, good-looking feels insufficient. "Attractive," he settles on. 

Rin stutters a bit, a blush rising on his cheeks. "You can't just - how can you say such embarrassing things?"

"Things like 'I really hope this is a date and not just compensation for accosting you in the street'?" Makoto asks, a wicked amusement filling him at Rin's continued unsettlement. 

"Yeah," he mutters, shifting in his seat. "Like that." 

"So?" He presses, nudging Rin under the table with his foot. 

"This can be a date if you want it to be," Rin says, nudging him back. 

"I do." Another nudge, and it's returned. 

"Then it is." 

The waiter comes by to take their order, and Makoto smiles to himself. 

 

Makoto learns that Rin is also in Kyoto for a vacation, that he's here to visit his younger sister, who attends Kyoto U. Rin himself is attending school in Tokyo, in a university a few dozen kilometers from Makoto's. They're the same age, but Rin is only attending school part time. 

"You're a professional swimmer?" Makoto asks. "That's amazing, Rin."

"Well," Rin toys with the food on his plate. "I'm working on it, anyway." 

"What strokes do you swim?" 

"Mostly butterfly and free." 

They talk about swimming, and their studies. Makoto asks about Rin's training, and Rin invites him to stop by the center he's currently training at. The conversation is smooth. Makoto finds he really enjoys Rin's company. He can be a little abrasive, but he also lets Makoto tease, something he tends to refrain from doing around most of his friends. It's nice. There are no prescribed roles, no expectations Makoto feels he needs to adhere to. He can just be himself. 

When they've delayed as long as they can, Makoto pays and they start to walk toward the train station. Makoto's been hesitating, and he lets Rin get a little ahead before he speaks. 

"Rin?" Makoto asks, and he turns. "Can I get your phone number?" 

Rin gives him a sly smile, the one that Makoto definitely wants to see more of. "What will you do with it?" 

Makoto blinks. "Well, I-" 

Rin steps closer. "Are you going to text me?" 

Makoto nods. "Yeah, I-" 

Rin steps closer still. "Will you call me?" he asks, voice dropping.

"I want to-" 

Rin taps Makoto's chest. "Are you going to ask me for another date?" His voice has gone silky, smooth. 

Makoto swallows. "Rin, do you- would you go out with me?" 

Rin's smile widens. "You're too slow to ask. Give me your phone." Makoto drops his phone into Rin's open hand. Rin looks at it and chuckles. "Unlock it. Dumbass." 

"Hey!" he protests, but he does as he's told. 

Rin adds his information to Makoto's contact list, and sends himself a text while he's at it. "You'd better call me." 

"I will," Makoto laughs. "I will." 

"Good," Rin smiles, and takes Makoto's hand, easy as anything. 

"Makoto! Mako-chan!" 

He whirls around to see Nagisa running toward him at breakneck speed, Rei not far behind. Makoto braces himself but Nagisa flies past, shouting, "The bees, Makoto, the bees!"

Makoto pales and dives behind Rin, peeking over his shoulder. "Oh god, no," he pleads. 

"I don't mind the closeness, Makoto, but I really don't know what you expect me to do." Rin reaches back and awkwardly pats his head. 

"Hey," Makoto protests weakly. "It's just instinct."

Rei stops beside them and leans over, hands on his knees, panting. "It's fine, Makoto-senpai. I think they finally lost interest." 

"What the hell did you guys do?" Rin asks. 

"It," Rei pants, "was all," he looks up, and glares at Nagisa, who is standing a few meters away and is sheepishly kicking his toe in the dirt, "HIS fault!" 

"Let's just catch the train," Makoto sighs, catching Rin's fingers with his own.

**Author's Note:**

> I need practice on a lot of things writing-related (especially titles…). 
> 
> Comments and critiques are welcome! There are probably a few mechanical errors since I wrote this rather quickly, feel free to point them out if you catch them before I can.


End file.
